Boggabri pub fire causes brief power outage

In a week when the temperature in the area is not predicted to drop below 38 degrees before Monday, a fire affecting the power supply at the Commercial was the last thing anyone needed.

But thankfully, it was “only small – more heat than anything”, according to Boggabri fire station commander Brian King.

The firies were called about 8pm when staff found the power box shorting out.

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“We just isolated it, removed some of the fuses, and just cooled it down and sprayed it until it was down to a normal temperature,” Mr King said.

He said the personnel used cool air to do so.

A unit from Fire and Rescue NSW in Boggabri, one from Gunnedah and two Rural Fire Service crews attended.

Mr King said that level of response was “normal procedure because it’s a two-storey building”.

“Better to have it big than none at all.”

Pub owner David Poole said the smell had alerted the occupants to the problem.

“We were on it straight away … the fire brigade was more a precautionary thing, just in case it got into the wall or something where we couldn’t see it,” he said.

“We got the power back on about an hour-and-a-half later.”

Mr Poole, who took over the business with publican wife Britt Poole about six months ago, said the incident followed a successful New Year’s Eve.

“We had a karaoke night that went really well,” he said.

“There was a good turnout; about 100 people came along …

“It’s a good town. The locals have been very supportive.”